As President Donald Trump enters the lame-duck era of his presidency, that raises questions about which of his various agenda items will actually get accomplished.

One of his long-standing goals has been to end the government conservatorship that mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been subject to since the financial crisis. After failing to make much headway during his first term in office, Trump revived those intentions for his second term—but once again hasn’t made it much of a priority.

This past May, Trump posted on Truth Social that he was “working on taking these amazing companies public,” while adding that the U.S. government would retain its mortgage guarantees and oversight role for both government-sponsored entities. But only a matter of days later, when asked about an initial public offering for Fannie and Freddie, Trump said: “It’s not a rush.”

Meanwhile, Trump has also seen an opportunity with the current government control of Fannie and Freddie to use them as tools to address affordability. On the eve of the midterm elections, he announced at a rally in Kansas that the entities would invest $4.3 billion in home loans in the state next year, which he promised would help 15,000 people achieve their American dream.

Removing Fannie and Freddie from conservatorship, experts have cautioned, could push up mortgage rates . And because Democrats regained control of Congress by campaigning on affordability, that may make them reluctant to entertain an end to this long-standing conservatorship now, when so many Americans are grappling with an affordability crisis.

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